Unit building construction



April 18, 1939. H. M. GRANT UNIT BUILDING CONSTRUCT ION 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25 INVENTOR. Henry M. Grant BY A TORNEYS April 18, 1939. H. M. GRANT UNIT BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed July 23, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 as 51 ea R w on E T N m MM v T mmewm n on H H. M. GRANT April 18, 1939.

UNIT BUILDING CONSTRUCTI'ON Filed July 23, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 S R OT f ww f m N F T 1 G k A l N B n 9 H Y B April 18, 1939. H. M. GRANT UNIT BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed July 23, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INENTOR.

Hen! M. Grant 55 y Q ATTORND Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in building construction of the unit type, that is the type in which a completed structure is made up by the assemblage of a plurality of completely prefabricated units on a suitable site.

A general object of this invention is to provide an improved form of units and assembly thereof to form a composite structure which may be easily and rapidly assembled on the site.

A further object of this invention is to provide a building assembly made up of a plurality of prefabricated units assembled about a central unit which preferably provides a place for the mechanical equipment of a home such as the bathroom, boiler room, and the like.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a unit assembly capable of wide latitude with respect to the architectural features thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a central unit for an assembly of this type so constructed that room units may be placed thereabout to form in conjunction therewith a structure in which communication between the various units from within is easily possible.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an assembly of this type which is highly flexible with respect to the number of room units which may be employed, and arranged so that room units may be added or removed to suit the 30 convenience of the user.

The many other and more detailed objects of the invention such as the manner of assembly of the room units and their attachment together and to the central unit, as well as the details of supplying the necessary piping and wiring connections, will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure when taken in connection with the attached drawings.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is an asymmetric view of one form of structure in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal cross-sectional general view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view through a portion of the central unit and two of the rooms to indicate generally the manner of connecting the piping and wiring from the central unit to the individual rooms;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view showing in more detail the manner of connecting the rooms to the central unit and to each other;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line '|--'l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a top plan exploded diagrammatic view of the assembly of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a modified assembly in which the central unit is hexagonal;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view through the joint between the roof skirt and the wall of the central unit;

Fig. 11 is a side view of one of the radial units adjacent the central unit showing the radial unit in elevation and the central unit in cross-section, the figure illustrating the association of these elements together with the other elements broadly necessary to provide a water-tight combination; and

Fig. 12 is a view taken on the line l2l2 of Fig. 11.

A basic object of this invention is to provide a building structure which has been illustrated as a house, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of this invention are not limited to such structures, comprising an assembly of individual units which are capable of complete prefabrication at a central point so as to be transported as a unit to the structure site. The complete assemblage includes a central unit which has been illustrated as having a circular cross-section about which the prefabricated units are placed so as to radiate therefrom. In the assembly of such a structure a suitable foundation is first prepared at the site. The central unit is then correctly positioned thereon and the various radial room units are then mounted on the foundation about the central unit and secured thereto and to each other.

As indicated in Fig. 9, it is not necessary that the central unit shall be of circular cross-section, since as indicated in that figure, it is shown as having a hexagonal form. a

The structure illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a central unit I and radial units 2, 3, 4, 8 and l. Positioned at the end of the radial unit 4 is the tangential unit 5 which as indicated in Fig. 2 is shown in open communication with the unit 4, to provide therewith what may be termedfor purposes of illustration, the living room. At 8 is a vestibule unit which is positioned between the the roof R of the associated unit.

units 4 and 0 to provide the main entrance to the structure. At this point it may be noted that when desired the vestibule unit can be replaced by a complete room unit if desired.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, another and smaller auxiliary or vestibule unit 9 may be employed to provide the service entrance. As diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 2, the central unit is divided of! to provide a main bathroom III, a boiler room II, and a closet C. The top of the central unit is closed oil! by means of a suitable roof structure l2, provided with a chimney ll, and a series of lights or windows ll, which, of course, may be capable of opening for ventilating purposes.

The room units are indicated as being generally of rectangular form and provided with necessary windows W to meet the requirements of interior lighting and exterior architectural plans.

Each of the room units is shown provided with converging side walls CW between which extend end walls EW having the necessary doorways DW. These rooms are constructed as indicated so as to provide the closets C, which may, of course, be varied in position, size and shape as desired. The end walls EW are longitudinally curved on the same radius about the center of the central unit so as to provide therewith a continuous circular passageway PW composed of arcuate sections which result from the formation of the converging ends of the room units. As is clear from the figure, the converging walls are of course provided with doorways so that they align the adjacent units to provide continuous communication around the central unit and from it to each of the room units. Some or all of these doorways may be provided with doors if desired. The roofs R of the room units in the form of'structure illustrated, only extend to the end walls EW. This leaves no top for the remainder of the unit.

The top or roof for the remainder of the units, that is the roof for the circular passageway PW is provided by a skirt composed of the longitudinally curved skirt portions I, which when assembled provide a continuous skirt or root for the circular passageway PW. Fig. 5 illustrates the manner in which the skirt sections II are united together and to the end walls. A series of longitudinally curved flashing plates I! are bolted to the end walls E'W, which project above As will be noted from Figs. 5 and 11, the roof R is supported upon angle irons I I, which in turn are secured to the end walls EW. These angle irons may be bolted, welded, riveted, or otherwise secured to these members respectively.

It may be here noted that the roof structure is only diagrammatically illustrated since it may be varied in accordance with well known practice to meet various general conditions and architectural requirements. It can, of course, be reinforced by suitable girder constructions, and can be insulated in accordance with well known practice. When the flashing plates I! are all in place they provide a continual circular wall extending aroundthe central unit in the plane of the end walls EW. They have secured thereto a channel I6 in any suitable manner, as by means of bolting as illustrated, which channel may be in the form of a complete ring or a ring built up of sections and projecting outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 5. The ring I6 is so positioned as to engage at I! the depending rim of the skirts IS. The channel It and the skirt I5 may be secured together in any suitable manner as by' Weld1 8 at the side by the band of contact therebetween, as generally indicated at It. The opposite or inner edge of the skirt i5 abutting against the outer face of the central unit I may be secured thereto in any suitable manner, as for example by suitable flanging and clamping bolts employing any well known form of caulking or cementing material.

Fig. 10 shows in cross-section one form of joint between the roof sections and the central unit. As shown in this figure, the outer wall 25 of the central unit is really divided into upper and lower sections with the upper edge of the lower section oflset inwardly as indicated at 25 to provide a peripheral or circular opening entirely around the wall. The outer wall 25 and the inner wall 24 are, as indicated in the various figures, held in spaced relation by vertical reinforcing studs S circumferentially spaced. Each of these studs is notched, as clearly indicated in Fig. 10 to provide space for the offset portion 25'. The inner edges of the skirt sections I! are provided with a vertical flange I! which may be inserted through the opening between the outer wall sections, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. To hold these sections in place a wedge member l5 is forced in between the lower faces of the skirt sections and the shoulder formed by the flange '25 and may be held in place in any suitable manner, as by means of bolts as indicated. The joint may be welded, caulked, cemented, or otherwise rendered watertight.

The manner of sealing the joints at the abutting edges of the skirt sections I5 is illustrated in Fig. 6. The joining plates 2| abut each other as shown, and are attached by means of angle irons 2| to the skirt sections I5 and secured thereto, as for example by welding. The abutting sections of the skirt roof are all united by means of bolts for example, as illustrated at 22. Of course, welding or riveting may be employed at these various points if desired. The joining plates 2| extend above the level of the skirt sections l5 and are outwardly flanged as indicated at 20 to provide a ridge around which may be crimped a suitable flashing strip 23. The joints may be caulked in accordance with recognized practice to insure a watertight joint. Indeed, it may be here noted that all joints are preferably caulked, cemented, welded, or otherwise sealed against the entry of moisture.

The portions of the converging walls CW in the region of the room unit roof level, are spaced as indicated in Fig. 7. The roof R rests at these portions on the angle irons 62 which may be welded to the converging walls CW and to the roof. The converging walls in this region extend above the roof level and are outturned to form the flanges 60 around which the flashing strip BI is crimped to form a seal.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a little more clearly the association of the parts in the region of the connection of the radial units to the central unit. These figures show particularly how the con verging walls CW rise above the roof level in the region back of the end wall EW and are flanged over as is also illustrated in Fig. 7 so that they may be united in a water-tight joint. The manner in which the watertight joint connection is made between the skirt sections I5 is not illustrated in these flgures in view of the clear illustration thereof in Fig. 6. The angle irons 2i and the flanged plates 23 have been eliminated from Figs. 11 and 12 so that the remainder of the construction will not be hidden. In the form of construction illustrated in Fig. 6 these parts are shown as added on parts rather than as integral parts, and for this reason they are easily omitted from Figs. 11 and 12 without confusing the disclosure.

It is of course apparent that the wall structure will not be of the simple form illustrated in Fig. 2, but will in practice be more of the order of that illustrated in Fig. 3. For example, the wall of the central unit I will consist of spaced inner and outer shelves 24 and 25 of any suitable material, as for example thin steel, with the interwall space filled with any suitable insulating material as indicated at 26, such as for example asbestos, cork, Celotex, rock wool, and the like.

In this figure there has been diagrammatically illustrated at 21 the piping system,.which for example may be the water or gas system, which is provided with a connecting member 28 extending through the wall of the central unit and provided with a union 23 by means of which it can be connected to the branch pipe 30 extending to one of the rooms. Of course, additional connections to the various other rooms which require water or gas connections can be supplied. At 33 is diagrammatically illustrated circuit wiring extending from the central unit to one of the rooms. The main power or distribution-board for the entire house will be situated in the central unit I, from which the various branch circuits will extend, and to which connection can be made in any well known and convenient manner. At 34 are represented the hot air, ventilating, or refrigerating distributing ducts extending from the heating, ventilating, or refrigerating plants in the central unit to the various rooms. These ducts can, of course, extend either underneath the floor or above the ceiling, and will be incorporated in the unit as a part thereof. As illustrated connection can be made thereto, as for example to. the branch 38 by means of a coupling unit 36 which is preferably provided with the flexible joint connectors 31 to permit of the proper aligning of the ducts.

Likewise the walls of the units will not be of the simple construction illustrated in Fig. 2. but somewhat like that indicated in Fig. 4, where they are shown as comprising inner walls 32 and outer walls 3|, spaced therefrom, with the inner wall space filled with a suitable insulating material as shown at 63. Likewise, the end walls EW may be made up of spaced inner and outer panels. which in this case need not have insulation therebetween because these are not outside walls.

At this point it will be noted that if desired. and as illustrated in Fig. 3. the inner side of the arcuate sections which form the circular passageway may also be provided with thin terminal walls as indicated at TW. It is of course apparent that these walls may be eliminated. reliance being placed upon the central unit as providing the end wall for the housing unit.

To strengthen the structure at the various door openings and at suitable locations the hollow section metal studs S can be employed to which the various wall panels are secured in any suitable manner. as by welding.

Referring to Fig. 4 there is shown in greater detail a series of converging wall sections and the manner of their attachment together and to the central unit section. A portion of the central unit I is shown with its spaced walls 24 and 25 and insulation 26. At the point where two room units are attached thereto a hollow section stud 39 may be incorporated therein to provide reinforcements. The studs S for the room units 2 this figure, and are secured to the central unit by the stud 33 by means of bolts 40. Of course the usual caulking material will be employed to seal the joints. The inner wall 24 of the central unit can be provided with hand holes having removable covers to permit of access for tightening the bolts. In addition a long bolt 4| is passed between the spaced studs S and secured to the central unit. These bolts pass through the trim strip 42 on the door opening to conceal the joint and trim the door opening.

In a similar way the converging walls are secured together by means of the bolt 44, access to which is had through the hand holes which are closed by means of the removable covers 43. The long bolt 45 extends through the trim strip 41 and the flashing strip 46 and serves to secure these parts together and seal the joints. A series of these bolts may be employed vertically spaced to firmly unite the parts. A caulking compound will be employed to seal the joint at the flashing strip 46. It is, of course, apparent that other forms of flashing, trimming, and securing means will readily occur to those skilled in the art as suitable for the purpose.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that great variations in the details of construction and decoration both interiorly and exteriorly may be employed. For example, the inner walls may be covered with p y wood, wall board. plaster. or be painted. enameled. or otherwise finished of! to give the desired interior effects.

Various forms of roof construction may be employed as for example metal plate roof welded to stamped metal rafters shaped to the curve of the roof lines. A flat ceiling is supported below the rafters.

Various forms of floor construction may be employed as for example a metal floor deck over li ht truss floor joists and covered with composition finish floor material.

It will be apparent that, while metal construction is indicated in the foregoing details and drawings, the structure may equally well be built almost entirely of wood or of various forms of composition material, depending upon the use to which it is to be put. a For example, the roofs Y may be covered with canvas.

The present invention is more concerned with the general assembly and form of the various units than with the finished details which would necessarily be incorporated in a structure of this type, and which would be varied depending upon the nature and intended uses to which the structure is put.

It is to be emphasized against that the various units comprising the completed structure are to be partially or completely prefabricated at a central manufacturing point, and shipped individually on trailers to the site. In the design of any structure the various room units will be proportioned so that they may be transported over roads by auto trailer. Each room unit is sufilciently complete so that it may be placed on the foundation at the site contiguous to the central unit, and attached thereto by simple expedients which may be applied by unskilled labor. The manner of connecting the parts together is such that they may be readily detached for removal to a new site, replacement, or other purposes.

I do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the disclosure as given for purposes of illustration, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: 1

l. A structure assembled as described comprising a prefabricated independent central unit, a plurality of prefabricated, independent room units positioned therearound and extending radially therefrom, said room units having end walls spaced from the walls of the central unit to form a continuous passage therearound communicating with each of the room units and the central unit.

2. A separable building assembly of the type described comprising a prefabricated central covered unit, a plurality of prefabricated individual covered room units positioned thereabout and extending radially therefrom, said room units having converging side walls adjacent the central unit, a portion of each room unit being roofed, and a skirt member extending from the central unit and overlying the adjacent ends of the room units to form a roof therefor.

3. A separable building assembly of the type described comprising a prefabricated central covered unit, a plurality of individual prefabricated room units positioned thereabout and extending radially therefrom, all of the room units being partially rooted, said room units having converging side walls adjacent the central unit, and a skirt member extending from the central unit to complete the roofs of the room units, said skirt member being sectionalized.

4. A building structure comprising a central unit, a plurality of substantially rectangular radial units secured thereto, said radial units having converging side walls adjacent the central unit with the converging portions of adjacent units lying contiguous to each other, said units having end walls adjacent the central unit and spaced therefrom to form a passage around the central unit, and means for securing all of said units together and for sealing the Joints therebetween.

5. A prefabricated assembled structure of the type described comprising a central unit adapted to provide a space for bathroom accommodations and heating apparatus, said central unit having a roof, a plurality of individual room units each having a roof and disposed about the central unit and radiating therefrom, said units having converging side walls adjacent the central unit and end walls extending therebetween and spaced from the central unit to provide a continuouspassage therearound, said end walls having door openings communicating with said passage, and-means for securing all of the units into a rigid unitary structure.

6. A prefabricated assembled structure 01 the type described comprising a prefabricated central unit adapted to provide a space for bathroom accommodations and heating apparatus, said central unit having a roof, a plurality of individual prefabricated room units disposed about the central unit and radiating therefrom, the end walls of the room units being spaced from the central unit to provide a continuous passage therearound, the side walls adjacent the central unit converging, said room units having roofs extending to said end walls, and a roof skirt extending from the central unit to said end walls to provide a cover for said passageways.

7. An attachable and detachable structure assembly of the type described comprising a portable prefabricated central unit, a plurality of portable prefabricated room units disposed about said central unit and extending radially from a common center, each unit including side walls and a roof, the ends of the side walls adjacent the central unit converging and lying close to the corresponding portions of the adjacent unit, the converging portions extending above the root level, and sealing means enclosing the edges of the projecting portions to form a weather-tight joint.

HENRY M. GRANT. 

